Oh, I still have my chalk blocks from the early '60's when I was in high school home-ec. Recently some friends were going through my 'handy box' that I keep my most and most recently used notions and the comments were a chuckle. Oh, Lord, how old are these old scissors?? and look at this tape measure, but when they saw the chalk pencils with the 'broom' on the end and the big chalk blocks that I's whittled edges to a shapeness, it was a hen session out of Disney Movies. But, I haven't used pencil, Maybe if you use it on the backside. I know the notions can be expensive. Once I decided to chunk all my junk and buy new things.....I went diving in the trash when I got back home. Money is the root of all my reasoning, I think.